Orakei Korako
A highly active geothermal area in a valley north of Taupō on the banks of the Waikato River, noted for its fault stepped sinter terraces. It is also called the Hidden Valley, and visitors cross the river by boat to reach the boardwalks.
- Where
- Taupō, Waikato, New Zealand
- Grade
- Local gem
- Worth
- 10 points collected on site
- Coordinates
- -38.4733, 176.1483
Get the Orakei Korako stamp
Open LOQAH when you are at Orakei Korako. It checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp is yours: confirmed on site in gold and struck with the date. It goes into your Waikato volume with your photos and a note.
Near Orakei Korako
Huka Falls 20 km
A set of rapids and a drop on the Waikato River just north of Lake Taupo, where the river narrows from about 100 metres to 15. Around 220,000 litres of water pass through the chasm each second, and the water is a deep blue.
Wai-O-Tapu 23 km
An active geothermal area south of Rotorua, whose name means sacred waters. Its colourful features include the huge Champagne Pool and the bright green Devil's Bath, and the Lady Knox Geyser erupts every morning.
Frying Pan Lake 30 km
The largest hot spring in the world, lying in Echo Crater in the Waimangu Volcanic Rift Valley south of Rotorua. Its acidic water stays at around 50 to 60 degrees Celsius and the lake covers roughly 38,000 square metres.
Polynesian Spa 39 km
A geothermal spa on the shore of Lake Rotorua, where visitors soak in pools fed by natural mineral springs. The area has drawn bathers since the nineteenth century, and the pools look out across the lake from the edge of the city.
Rotorua Museum 39 km
A museum and art gallery in the Government Gardens, housed in the Tudor style Bath House that opened in 1908 as a spa. Its collections include more than 2,000 Māori taonga, and the building was closed in 2016 after earthquake strength concerns.
Mount Tarawera 42 km
A volcano near Rotorua that erupted on 10 June 1886, killing about 120 people and burying the Pink and White Terraces. The eruption tore a rift 17 kilometres long, and the buried village of Te Wairoa is now a museum.
Lake Taupo 43 km
New Zealand's largest lake by area, filling the caldera of a supervolcano in the centre of the North Island. Its last major eruption, around 232 CE, was one of the most violent in the last 5,000 years, and the lake is now a famed trout fishery.
Lake Rotorua 45 km
The second largest lake on the North Island, filling a volcanic caldera that formed around 240,000 years ago. Mokoia Island sits at its centre, and the geothermal city of Rotorua lies on its southern shore.
More hidden gems in Waikato
Questions
Where is Orakei Korako?
Orakei Korako is in Taupō, Waikato, New Zealand. The nearest other LOQAH stamps are Huka Falls (20 km), Wai-O-Tapu (23 km), Frying Pan Lake (30 km).
How do I get the Orakei Korako stamp?
Open LOQAH when you are at Orakei Korako and get its stamp. The app checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp goes into your Waikato volume, confirmed on site, with the date.
I have been to Orakei Korako before. Can I still have the stamp?
Yes. Add it from Earlier trips in your Waikato volume, with the date if you know it, or import your Google Timeline and LOQAH matches the places you were.
Collect your first stamp.
LOQAH is free on iPhone and Android, in India and 40 more countries, with more countries on the way. Stand at a place, collect its stamp, and keep every trip in a passport that grows.